With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
How Southern California Has Influenced The State’s Lead Negotiator On The Colorado River
Hamby works out of his office at the Imperial Irrigation District in El Centro.
(
Zaydee Sanchez
/
LAist
)
At stake is the future of the Colorado River, which provides about 30% of SoCal’s drinking water.
Topline:
The newest season of Imperfect Paradise is about the negotiations to keep a hugely important source of California’s water, the Colorado River, from drying up. In Part 2, how growing up in a desert farming region shaped the way JB Hamby, California’s 28-year old lead negotiator, thinks about water — and how his perspective has changed after a year of working on the river.
Why it matters: The Colorado River provides about 30% of SoCal’s drinking water. The Imperial Valley, where Hamby grew up, raises almost all the vegetables we eat in the winter — using exclusively Colorado River water.
As climate change and overuse shrink the river, it threatens California’s access to the water. Without that water, food prices would jump, farms towns would become ghost towns, and cities would be forced to ration water.
Sponsored message
The backstory: High-stakes talks are currently underway between the seven states that use Colorado River water. Each has a lead negotiator. Their goal? Keep the river from dropping so low that no water would pass through the big dams — meaning no water for California.
Why you should listen: To meet the bolo-tie wearing, chicken-raising, 28-year-old river history nerd representing the biggest user of Colorado River water: California.
How can I listen? Here's Part 2:
New episodes of Imperfect Paradise: The Gen Z Water Dealmaker publish Wednesdays wherever you get your podcasts, on LAist.com, and on broadcast at LAist 89.3 the following Sunday.
At LAist, we focus on what matters to our community: clear, fair, and transparent reporting that helps you make decisions with confidence and keeps powerful institutions accountable.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
